Streetsblog Chicago

First announced in May 2024 and slated for construction that year, it appears that the 0.6-mile segment of protected bike lanes on Belmont Avenue between Milwaukee (3840 W.) and Kimball (3400 W.) avenues is finally completed. But it was worth the wait, because this is one of the nicest PBL snippets in town, with lots of concrete protection.

• More coverage of the celebration of the Long Avenue Safe Streets project, featuring alders who voted against lowering the city's speed limit (Block Club)

Read Streetsblog recent interview with Rep. Kam Buckner about efforts avert the transit fiscal cliff here.

• "Lake County officials discuss the challenges of public transportation [fiscal cliff] during town hall meeting" (News-Sun)

• Capitol Fax's Rich Miller: "New sales tax revenue will help mass transit, but there's still a long way to go" (Sun-Times)

Tragically, this month there have been two different incidents in which drivers fatally struck vulnerable road users on or near Chicago's Halsted Street.

In case you can't tell from Streetsblog Chicago's homepage, beating the drum on the region’s impending transit budget crisis is our top priority right now. After all, if the state legislature fails to pass a funding and reform bill this summer, the likely result will be roughly 40 percent service cuts and 3,000 layoffs. That would be disastrous for the region and counter to SBC’s mission: Making Chicagoland a safer and more efficient, equitable, environmentally friendly, and enjoyable place to get around.

Read Ellen Steinke's previous SBC op-ed "Uber and the road construction lobby just killed Illinois’ transit funding bill, and your lawmakers let them" here.

Riders share feedback with CTA at a series of pop-up "chats." But what improvements can be made until the $770M fiscal cliff is diverted?